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Removing Bends and Kinks in Cloth Cords

Started by gands-antiques, August 25, 2019, 11:25:00 AM

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gands-antiques

I am looking for a good way to remove bends and kinks in a cloth covered cord with rubber coated conductors. 

I've corrected coiled rubber cords by wrapping them on a dowel rod, placing them in a low temp oven for awhile and then placing them into the freezer for awhile.

I don't know if warming a cloth cord in an oven is safe. Maybe a hair dryer would be safer... I haven't tried either method yet.     Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

Dan/Panther

Back in 2008 I posted the restoration of a 302. I went into a bit of detail on how I did it with before and after photos. Here is a link toi that thread. you can scroll to get to the area about the cord. It worked splendidly.

D/P

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=218.0


The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

gands-antiques

Dan....

Thanks a lot for all of the great information. I enjoyed your entire 302 restoration project.

Does the Son Of A Gun change the color of the cloth when it dries.  The cord I need to straighten is a mounting cord for a candlestick and it matches the receiver cord color real well so I wouldn't want it to change.


Thanks again,
Gary

Jim Stettler

I have thought about hanging straight cords and attaching a small weight (fishing weight) to the end, then sliding a piece of pipe over it and using a hair dryer. I was thinking pvc pipe, but if you use metal the residual heat in the metal might help.
I have never tried this method, But I think it would help with some cords.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

gands-antiques

Thanks Jim...

I have hung straight rubber cords with the weight of a pair of vice grips (or two) in the sun and it has worked pretty well. I didn't put it in a tube or use a hair dryer...just the weight and heat from the sun. 

I may try this method first.

Thanks,
Gary

gands-antiques

I clamped a large vice grip to the restraint on one end of the cord and hung it outside in the sun for a couple of hours. The cord softened up and straightened out the bends and kinks pretty well.

Gary

Dan/Panther

Son of a Gun, will not discolor the cords. HOWEVER on big plus to the way I mentioned, is spray the cord before hand with SOAG, then remove the kinks by hand, then stretch whichever way you feel most comfortable with. The advantage to SOAG, it replaces some of the flexibility to the rubber wires, helps prevent cracking, where heat can add to the cracking, especially if the cord is under a stretch condition. Take an old cord and remove the cover and try one of the wires by itself and see the difference. It cleans the wire, softens the wire, and brings back a brighter color.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Dan/Panther on August 26, 2019, 01:24:40 PM
Son of a Gun, will not discolor the cords. HOWEVER on big plus to the way I mentioned, is spray the cord before hand with SOAG, then remove the kinks by hand, then stretch whichever way you feel most comfortable with. The advantage to SOAG, it replaces some of the flexibility to the rubber wires, helps prevent cracking, where heat can add to the cracking, especially if the cord is under a stretch condition. Take an old cord and remove the cover and try one of the wires by itself and see the difference. It cleans the wire, softens the wire, and brings back a brighter color.

D/P
Good point about the heat  and about softening the rubber.
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

gands-antiques

Thanks for the information...I will try this method the next time I need to straighten a cloth cord. l have a bottle of Armoral that I use on the interior of my car but I didn't have any Son Of A Gun.


Thanks,
Gary

Dan/Panther

I believe they are very similar if not the same product, There is another one I've used called F-21. I believe all are silicone based products, so if you plan to paint the phone keep it protected from those products, paint will not stick even if you try to clean it off.

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

HarrySmith

I use the F-21 as a final polish on my phones. Spray it on a soft micro fiber cloth and rub it on, leaves a nice shiny finish. Also makes cleaning afterwards a breeze, quick wipe down with a clean micro fiber cloth.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Dan/Panther


The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Russ Kirk

Quote from: Dan/Panther on August 26, 2019, 01:24:40 PM
Son of a Gun, will not discolor the cords. HOWEVER on big plus to the way I mentioned, is spray the cord before hand with SOAG, then remove the kinks by hand, then stretch whichever way you feel most comfortable with. The advantage to SOAG, it replaces some of the flexibility to the rubber wires, helps prevent cracking, where heat can add to the cracking, especially if the cord is under a stretch condition. Take an old cord and remove the cover and try one of the wires by itself and see the difference. It cleans the wire, softens the wire, and brings back a brighter color.

D/P

Is the the Son of a Gun product?
- Russ Kirk
ATCA & TCI

Dan/Panther


The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson